Omar Abdullah Criticizes Public Safety Act and Prepares for Jammu and Kashmir Elections
Omar Abdullah, Vice President of the National Conference (NC), has criticized the misuse of the Public Safety Act (PSA), claiming it led to the harassment of youths in Jammu and Kashmir. He stated, “The youth has been harassed without any reason. Different laws were used against them. After the local jails were full, they kept the youth in jails outside Jammu and Kashmir… PSA has been misused rashly.”
Abdullah promised to remove the PSA if the National Conference comes to power to prevent its misuse. He also defended his decision to contest the upcoming Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections, aiming to present a united front against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and minimize their seats. He said, “Our efforts are meant to have a united front against the BJP and we make sure that they win as few seats as possible.”
The assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir will be conducted in three phases on September 18, 25, and October 1, with the counting of votes on October 4. This will be the first assembly poll since the abrogation of Article 370. The Election Commission of India (ECI) has issued notifications for the second phase of elections, with the last date for filing nominations being September 5, scrutiny on September 6, and the last date for withdrawal of candidatures on September 9.
In the 2014 Assembly elections, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) won 28 seats, the BJP won 25, the National Conference won 15, and the Congress won 12. The PDP and BJP formed a coalition government led by Mufti Mohammed Sayeed. However, in 2018, the BJP withdrew from the alliance after Mehbooba Mufti took over following Sayeed’s demise. In the recent Lok Sabha elections, the BJP won both seats in Jammu, while the National Conference also secured two seats.
Doubts Revealed
Omar Abdullah -: Omar Abdullah is a politician in India. He is the Vice President of the National Conference, a political party in Jammu and Kashmir.
Public Safety Act (PSA) -: The Public Safety Act is a law in Jammu and Kashmir that allows the government to detain people without trial for up to two years if they are seen as a threat to public order.
Jammu and Kashmir -: Jammu and Kashmir is a region in northern India. It has its own special laws and has been a place of conflict for many years.
National Conference -: The National Conference is a political party in Jammu and Kashmir. It is one of the oldest and most important parties in the region.
BJP -: BJP stands for Bharatiya Janata Party. It is one of the two major political parties in India and is currently in power at the national level.
Election Commission -: The Election Commission is a government body in India that organizes and oversees elections to ensure they are fair and free.
Assembly elections -: Assembly elections are elections to choose representatives for the legislative assembly of a state in India. These representatives make laws and policies for the state.
Three phases -: Three phases means that the elections will be held on three different days. This is done to manage the large number of voters and ensure security.
Notifications -: Notifications are official announcements. In this context, it means the Election Commission has officially announced the dates and details for the second phase of the elections.
Nominations -: Nominations are when candidates officially put their names forward to run in the elections. The last date for nominations is the final day they can do this.